2006kmls
Active LVC Member
I manage a component manufacturing company that produces parts for medical, consumer and the automotive industry (not FORD or Lincoln). I was recently at a supplier symposium in Tucson Arizona and the VP of Procurment from FORD in Hermisillo Mexico was there looking and vendors for a myriad of components. They are having a hard time getting a good supply of some items.
He stood up in front of 400 persons at a Hoilday Inn and said; "...we are the future for FORD Motor company...soon we will have that capacity to do 4000 cars per week and only FORD trucks will be left in the USA...and by 2010 it will all be gone...do you suppliers want to grow with us in Mexic or not"!
For the next two days we saw nothing but Ford, Lincoln, Mazda, Jaguar and all sorts of people talk up this plant in Hermisillo.
I remember the Lincoln guy saying that "soon" several Lincolns will be made there in Mexico and that there plant in Wixom will not close besure of all this off shoreing and they do the GT 40 and they will get a truck or van to replace the Lincoln production going to Mexico.
We went down and toured the plant. Its megalithic in size and scope. Everyone there is just biting at the bit to close more USA Ford plants to fill up the place! The whole thing is a rip of TPS (Toyota Production Systems) and cheap labor and a plant 100% dedicated to three running gear lines all being front wheel drive. They can do a Fusion, a Mazda, a Lincoln Zephyer a Ford 500, and on and on! They claim that by 2008 they will have 6 seperate cars coming off three lines!!
The week after the tour I went and bought a new 2005 LS Ultimate, just to get it made in the USA and to "help" out Ford and its employees a bit.
The following week I read that the Wixom plant where the LS is made will probably close with the end of 2006 production.
And that Engineer from Wixom that touted how good the Hermisillo plant was....he is GONE, in the last round of layoffs he was jettissoned!
The Ford model is: front wheel drive, off shore manufacturing, minimal running gears and cheap labor. But of course a Lincoln Towncar will still cost $49,000-$55,000!
He stood up in front of 400 persons at a Hoilday Inn and said; "...we are the future for FORD Motor company...soon we will have that capacity to do 4000 cars per week and only FORD trucks will be left in the USA...and by 2010 it will all be gone...do you suppliers want to grow with us in Mexic or not"!
For the next two days we saw nothing but Ford, Lincoln, Mazda, Jaguar and all sorts of people talk up this plant in Hermisillo.
I remember the Lincoln guy saying that "soon" several Lincolns will be made there in Mexico and that there plant in Wixom will not close besure of all this off shoreing and they do the GT 40 and they will get a truck or van to replace the Lincoln production going to Mexico.
We went down and toured the plant. Its megalithic in size and scope. Everyone there is just biting at the bit to close more USA Ford plants to fill up the place! The whole thing is a rip of TPS (Toyota Production Systems) and cheap labor and a plant 100% dedicated to three running gear lines all being front wheel drive. They can do a Fusion, a Mazda, a Lincoln Zephyer a Ford 500, and on and on! They claim that by 2008 they will have 6 seperate cars coming off three lines!!
The week after the tour I went and bought a new 2005 LS Ultimate, just to get it made in the USA and to "help" out Ford and its employees a bit.
The following week I read that the Wixom plant where the LS is made will probably close with the end of 2006 production.
And that Engineer from Wixom that touted how good the Hermisillo plant was....he is GONE, in the last round of layoffs he was jettissoned!
The Ford model is: front wheel drive, off shore manufacturing, minimal running gears and cheap labor. But of course a Lincoln Towncar will still cost $49,000-$55,000!
